Thread: Hunting with kids under 10 - must haves

Taking my 6yo girl for her first proper hunt tomorrow.

What are the things you take to make it a good time for them? So far I have lots of food

Patience, lots of stops, explain whats happening and why. Enjoy!

My kids drink lots of water, and man can they eat!!!!

snacks,lollies
warm cloths,
PATIENCE
willingness to go home if they start to flag too much.
TIME
footwear they comfy in.
thermos of milo???
spare set of binos,dont have to be too flash,just good enough they can "join in" look out if they spot deer first,you wont live it down.

baby whipes and small shovel....for #2s

let her know its OK to tell Dad she needs to stop for wees

PATIENCE.
have fun and take lots of photos,they dont stay little for long.

Nailed it right there, lots of treats
Patience, there own pair of binos (quality is not important just so they feel included)
Be prepared to stop when they want to, rest when they need to and be prepared to finish early when they have had enough...been doing all the above with my daughter and she's keen as to keep coming.
I think I pushed my boys to hard in too bigger country as they both lost interest very quickly. Hunt easier country it's not about coming home with a deer it's about making it fun and working with their shorter attention span.....at least that's my experience

Kids love gadgets and their own stuff .
The binocular suggestion is a great one , as is letting them use a range finder .
Their own little backpack ( make sure it’s not heavy and overloaded) with a lighter/ torch/ pocket knife/ snacks .
Take heaps of photos of them and make them pose and feel special, then get them to take photos of you ( it makes them feel like they have a job and purpose) .
The photos serve a second purpose because after the hunt you can relive the adventure and they can show family and friends, positive feedback from others about what they did goes a long way to them wanting to do it again.

Animals or target species every kid likes it when Dad or Mum shoots a animal. No pressure

Originally Posted by bigbear

Animals or target species every kid likes it when Dad or Mum shoots a animal. No pressure

Yeah i feel it already

I never target the under 10s, it's just to young imho. But then I guess the meat is pretty tender.

Get your kid a pocket size book of native trees, I did this for my boys and they love looking for and identifying trees and bushes. You can also get pocket sized books of native birds.

Oh and don't underestimate binos. I need to get my kids a pair as I don't get to use them when taking the boys. They both have 10x25 but naturally they grab my 10×42 as they can se more.

Bananas are good to have for kids to chow down.

Ear protection?

Originally Posted by Shamus_

Ear protection?

Be lucky to let off a round but yip good call, fingers will do if we get lucky

Bino's is definitely up there. And never doubt them when they tell you they see one! When I take kids I make sure they have a small backpack with snacks, a torch or headlamp, a warm jacket and hat and gloves.........in fact I never take anyone that wont/cant carry the basics on their back. And as Dad, a sleeping bag cover or bivy bag as well as all the other essentials.

Also from experience with my kids .
They don’t like to sit still for extended periods of time , so watching a clearing for 3 hours is a real task .
I learned the hard way of trying to get my son to sit quietly and still for hours Duck shooting .
Personally I found Spotlighting rabbits where the action is frequent and you are moving alot was my kids favourite.